Jackhammers will be serenading patio-goers this summer as the city expects an especially busy downtown, and they outlined what they’re prescribing to heal traffic.
Members of the Traffic Services team discussed the tools they’re employing to limit construction-induced delays when giving a behind the scenes look at the recently renamed Traffic Management Centre (TMC) on May 7, 2025.
The centre uses live cameras to give monitoring staff a bird’s-eye view of major roads citywide. Additionally, they employ drones to observe traffic when necessary, making Calgary one of the first cities to utilize the technology nationally.
When they see streets starting to back up, they remotely tap into digital signs to initiate turn signals or make light changes.
Apart from just monitoring traffic, congestion management leader, Zi Wang, explained that they use artificial intelligence to retrieve previously recorded data showing traffic tie-ups.
He said they use this knowledge to help inform when they book construction during less populated times, like evenings and weekends, to avoid disruptions.
“We are confident that we have the technology and the resources so that we can help calibrate to move around faster,” said Wang.
Acting manager, Anthony El-Araj, said the downtown core is the most construction-heavy part of the city. But as a result of Calgary’s lengthy winters, contractors are confined to completing projects in just under six months.
He said this poses challenges for appropriately scheduling road-impacting work.
In some instances, like during the Calgary Stampede, construction projects are paused completely. But with an increase in local filming and large-scale events like the Servus Calgary Marathon, El-Araj recommends residents stay informed about possible delays in their commute.
“This year we anticipate a very busy construction season,” he said.
“We encourage Calgarians to plan ahead and use the many tools that we have available to navigate the construction season.”
Introducing Waze: A one-stop shop for traffic information
The city’s partnership with the free mobile smartphone app, Waze, means Calgarians can receive travel updates the minute traffic or construction is reported.
Different from Apple or Google Maps, Waze connects directly to the TMC, making information about present or future closures, detours, or emergency incidents more reliable.
El-Araj noted that this information has always been available online at the city’s website. He said the partnership was to make traffic knowledge more accessible amid a jam-packed season ahead.
“This is why there’s more focus this year on planning,” he said.
“We understand traffic is important to people and nobody wants to be stuck in traffic.”
Road updates remain traditionally available on the radio channel 107.9 FM and via the TMC’s X (formerly Twitter) social media page.
